Electrical control means for fare



y 31, 8- E. A. NAHM ET AL 2,118,938

ELECTRICAL CONTROL MEANS FOR FARE BOXES Filed April 1, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l May 31, 1 938. E. A. NAHM Er AL ELECTRICAL CONTROL MEANS FOR FARE BOXES Filed April 1, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1938- E. A. NAHM ET AL ELECTRICAL CONTROL MEANS FOR FARE BOXES Filed April 1, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 31, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONTROL MEANS FOR FARE BOXES New York Application April 1, 1937, Serial No. 134,218

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a power driven fare box and register structure of the type in which the operation of a lever for dumping of deposited coins sets into operation a. motor for driving the coin sorting and registering mechanism.

An important object of the invention is to provide an arrangement in which operation of the dumping lever will close a switch for the electric motor circuit, and clock work controlling the 1 opening of the switch after a predetermined period of operation of the motor.

A further object is to provide an arrangement in which the motor circuit switch is closed when the dumping lever is operated and latch mechanism then holds the switch in closed condition, to-

gather with clock work which effects unlatching of the switch for reopening thereof after a predetermined period of operation of the motor.

A further object is to provide an arrangement in which when the switch is closed by operation of the dumping lever power is stored in spring means for driving the clock train and for restoring the switch to open condition after a predetermined period of operation of the motor.

Another object is to provide simple means for making adjustments for any desired time period of operation of the motor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide switch means in which the movable switch element is quick acting for snap closing and opening of the switch so as to eliminate sparking.

The various features of our invention are shown incorporated in the structure disclosed on the drawings, in which drawings:

Figure l is an elevation view of the dumping lever side of a fare box and register structure;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of the opposite side of the structure shown in Figure 1, with the housing in vertical section;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the upper end of the fare box structure showing in end view the coin dumping structure and the connection therebetween and the dumping lever shaft;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the dumping plates and operating means therefore and showing also in plan view the switch and controlling clock mechanism;

Figure 5 is a section on plane V-V of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a section on plane VI'VI of Figure Figure '7 is an enlarged side elevation of the latching mechanism; and

Figure 8 is a section on plane VIII-VIII of Figure 5.

The fare box shown comprises the inspection compartment I!) which receives deposited coins or tokens from a coin drop (not shown), the sorting and register mechanism being within the housing part II. The dumping plates l2 and I3 are at the bottom of the inspection compartment and when these plates are swung downwardly the deposited coins or tokens are discharged through the chute i4 into the hopper l5 where they are received by the sorting disc i6 secured to a shaft ll which at its lower end has a worm wheel l8 meshing with a worm IS on the drive shaft 29. The drive shaft also carries a gear 2| meshing with a gear 22 which forms part of the operating train for the register mechanism which totalizes the deposits. Upon turning of the drive shaft the deposited coins or tokens are sorted and the register mechanism is set for the corresponding cash value or token entry and the registers are operated all in a manner as fully disclosed as, for example, in Johnson Patent 1,344,898 dated June 29, 1920. After sorting and entry of the coins and tokens they are received in a cup 23 from which they may be readily withdrawn by inward swing of a door 24.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the dumping plates l2 and I3 extend from shafts 25 and 26 from which extend levers 21 and 28, a pin 29 extending from the end of the lever 28 through a longitudinal slot 30 in the lever 21. The pin extends into a cam slot 3! in the wing 32 extending upwardly from the dumping lever shaft 33, the shaft at its outer end carrying a coupling pin 34 receiving the slot 35 in the hub 36 of the dumping lever 31. A spring 38 tends to hold the dumping lever in upper position as shown in Figure 1 and to return it to this position after a downward swing thereof for dumping of the plates l2 and [3. When the lever is swung down and the wing 32 therewith, the cooperation of the cam slot 3| with the pin 29 causes downward swing of the arms 21 and 28 and of the plates l2 and i3 for dumping of the deposited coins or tokens.

An electric driving motor M for the sorting and register mechanism is mounted in the base 39 of the fare box and thru a suitable reduction gearing 40 drives a shaft 4! extending thru a side wall of the base and mounting a pulley 42 which is connected by a belt 43 with the driving pulley 44 secured to the drive shaft 20. A guard frame 44 is detachably secured against the side of the box to protect the belt, and this guard has the opening 46 through which the drive wheel 44 projects,

this Wheel being provided with a handle 41 for manual operation thereof and of the drive shaft in case the motor should fail. Under such conditions the guard frame 45 is removed and the belt taken off the wheel 44 so that this wheel may be readily manually rotated for operation of the sorting and registering mechanism.

Referring to Figures 2 and 4, the end of the shaft 26 is provided at its end with a crank arm 48 for operation of the switch and controlling clock work when the dumping lever is actuated. The switch and its controlling mechanism are mounted on a supporting plate 49 secured in any suitable manner to the fare box housing. The switch comprises a frame 50 mounted on the plate 49 and this frame supports a rectangular block 5! of insulating material, the block having a recess 52 in which the movable switch member operates. This switch member comprises a frame 53 which journals a contact member in the form of a roller 51;. A stem 55 extends from the frame 53 and has the slot 56 receiving the pin 51 in the lower end of a lever 58 pivoted at 5%! on the frame 50. A washer Gil engages the stem 55 below the pin 57 and a spring 6! is interposed between the washer and the frame 53, the spring holding the washer at all times against the pin 51.

It will be noted (Figure 5) that the pivot 59 for the lever 58 is midway between the sides of the cavity 52 in the switch block 5!, and when the axes of the pivot pin 59, the pin 57, and of the contact roller 54 are in a common plane, the con tact roller will be midway between the lower corners of the cavity 52 and then, as the lever 58 is swung and the pin 5? moves to either side of the neutral or dead line the frame 53 will be projected by the spring 6| to bring the contact roller 54 into the corresponding lower corner of the recess 52, a spring toggle action being thus provided which gives the switch contact member a quick or snap action. As best shown in Figures 5 and 8, contact plates 52 and 53 are secured to opposite sides of the switch block El and project at their inner ends adjacent the outer lower corner of the recess 52 so that when the contact roller 54 is shifted from the inner lower corner (Figure 5) to the opposite corner the roller bar will engage with the terminal plates 62 and for closure of the motor circuit. As shown in Figure 2, the terminal plates are connected by electrical circuit 64 with the motor M, this cirouit including a suitable source of current as for example a battery B.

At its outer end the lever 58 is pivoted to a link 55 which has the slot 65 receiving the end of the crank arm 43 on the shaft 26 so that, when the dumping lever 31 is swung downwardly for dumping of deposited coins or tokens. the lever 58 will be swung in clockwise direction (Figure 5) for throw of the movable switch member 53 for engagement with the terminals 82 and 63 for closure of the motor circuit and running of the motor for driving the sorting and registering mechanism.

Describing now the switch latching mechanism, and the timing mechanism for determining the duration of switch closure, a connecting bar 5? is connected with the lever 58 below the lever connection with the link 55, the outer end of the connecting bar being pivoted to the upper end of a lever 68 which is pivoted intermediate its ends on a shaft 59 extending from the supporting plate 49. At the lower end of the lever 58 is a pin 15 which pivots a detent or pawl ll having the detent tooth 12 at its free end for engagement with the arcuate edge of a sector 13 secured to a hub 14 rotatable on the shaft 59. Also rotatable on this shaft is a gear 15 to which the hub 14 is frictionally coupled as by means of friction plates '16 which are secured to the hub and friotionally hold the gear between them. The gear 15 is connected by a gearing or clock-work train Tl with escapement mechanism [8 controlled by a pendulum wheel 19.

Swing of the lever 58 by operation of the dumping lever for closure of the switch is resisted by a spring anchored to the lever 58 and to the switch frame 50, this spring also furnishing the power for driving the clock work and for swinging the lever 58 back for reopening of the switch. When the lever 58 is rotated by actuation of the dumping lever, the lever 68 will be rotated in clockwise direction, (Figure 5) and the detent pawl H will be shifted relative to the detent sector 13, a spring 8! tending to hold the pawl tooth l2 against the arcuate edge of the sector. At its upper end the sector has a notch 82 providing a detent shoulder 83 which notch and shoulder receive the detent pawl tooth after the lever 68 has been rotated a distance. After the tooth engages in the notch a projection 84 at the pivoted end of the detent pawl engages the underside of the sector 13 and the sector is swung upwardly a distance with the detent pawl in engagement therewith. This movement of the sector occurs during the latter part of the downward swing of the dumping lever 31 and during this time the switch is snapped from its open position to its circuit closing position. Then upon release of the dumping lever, it is returned by its spring 38 to its normal position and the spring 80 then becomes effective for moving the switch lever 58 back toward its normal or circuit opening position. Such movement causes counter-clockwise rotation of the lever 68, and the latch pawl H which is in engagement with the shoulder 83 of the sector will carry the sector along. The duration of latching engagement of the pawl with the sector is determined by a cam member 85 in the form of a bell crank structure frictionally secured on the shaft 59 in front of the lever 68. This cam member presents a cam edge to a roller 8'! at the base of the pawl tooth 72. Figure '7 shows the position of the latching element after the dumping lever has been actuated and the spring 85 has been released for operation. As the lever 68 is then rotated in counter-clockwise direction and the sector '53 is moved with the pawl, the roller 23! engages along the cam surface 85 and the pawl is gradually swung outwardly until its tooth I2 is finally withdrawn from the latch shoulder 83. Movement of the latch sector it and the latch pawl mechanism is resisted by the gearing train Tl to which the gear 15 is frictionally coupled to the sector hub M and as the sector is carried with the latch pawl by the power of the spring 80 the clock train is operated to retard and time the movement. As soon as the pawl tooth is cammed from the sector the retarding influence of the clock train is removed and the spring 80 will then rapidly restore the lever 58 and the latching mechanism to normal position and the switch will be snapped back to circuit opening position as shown in Figure 5. the lever 58 resting normally against a stop 88 on the plate 49.

By means of its upstanding arm 85 the frictionally supported cam member 35 may be adjusted for setting of its cam surface 86 upwardly or downwardly so as to determine the time period of retardation by the clock work and thereby the time interval of circuit closure by the switch and operation of the motor.

The clock train is self-locking so that, when the dumping lever is actuated for closure of the switch and movement of the pawl H into latching engagement with the sector, the sector will be swung independently of the clock train by virtue of its frictional connection with the gear 15, and then when the dumping lever is released, the return movement of the latch sector frictionally rotates the gear 15 and the clock train.

We thus provide simple arrangement in a fare box and register structure in which, by the actuation of the dumping lever, the driving motor circuit switch is quickly closed with snap action and is then held in closed position for a predetermined length of time when it is automatically snapped back to circuit opening position for stopping of the motor, the time period of switch closure being readily adjustable.

We have shown a practical and efficient em bodiment of the various features of our invention but we do not desire to be limited to the exact construction, arrangement and operation shown and described as changes and modifications may be readily made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim as follows:

1. Electrical control means for a fare box and register structure of the class described in which a dumping lever controls the discharge of deposited coins to the registering means, comprising an electric driving motor for said registering means, a circuit for said motor and a snap switch controlling said circuit, means effective upon actuation of said dumping lever for closing said switch for operation of said motor, a spring wound up when said lever is actuated and tending to return said switch to open position, and a clock train driven by the force of said spring and effective for a predetermined time period to retard opening of said switch and thereafter to permit quick opening of the switch by the spring.

2. Electrical control means for a fare box and register structure of the class described in which a dumping lever controls the discharge of deposited coins to said registering means, comprising an electric driving motor for said registering means, a circuit for said motor and a snap switch controlling said circuit, means effective upon actuation of said dumping lever for closing said switch for operation of said motor, means tending to reopen said switch, a clock train for retarding the reopening of said switch, means rendering said clock train effective when said switch is closed by operation of said actuating handle, and means controlled by the running of the clock train for releasing the clock train from said switch after a predetermined period of operation of said motor whereby said switch may then reopen said circuit.

EUGENE A. NAHM. HENRY VAN ZUILEN. 

